April 18, 2009: Cuppa Joe?

I was at the chiropractor for my daughter awhile ago, and we got into a discussion about nutrition. I was thrilled to find out he's not a Nutrition Extremist. Case in point: he drinks coffee. In fact, almost every morning when he gets to work, he runs across the street to the coffee shop run by our library. They have numerous specialty coffees and teas and the usual coffee house fare.

Coffee is another one of those foods that has gotten a bad rap. Here's the general train of thought between the two sides.

"Coffee has caffeine. Studies have shown that caffeine in small amounts does energize and increase cognitive processes. Small amount is no more than 2 cups. It can be a preferred method of a pick-me-up over more dangerous energizing substances. In addition, it does contain some sorts of nutritive substances in small amounts."

vs

"Coffee is of the devil. You've got caffeine withdrawal and the tendency for addiction with it. The miniscule amounts of nutrients in it are overshadowed by the destructive effects of caffeine on your body. The caffeine in it will rot you to the core. It will induce psychosis in certain individuals. The two cup limitation is way too much. If you use caffeine, be prepared to suffer a slow, agonizing death with your blackened teeth falling out in the meantime."

The truth? You gotta do the work of figuring out your body's response to coffee and caffeine. I can't consume caffeine or caffeine-like substances like theophylline (in chocolate) after noon. I don't have a lot, because it makes me jittery. I'm smart enough also to avoid ridiculously caffeine-laden super drinks; I use herbal alternatives. (If the people who say it has no effect on them could see a replay of themselves after they were down from the high, they'd be lying if they didn't see a difference in behavior.) If I was told not to drink it, I probably wouldn't most of the time--but not always. And, I guess it bears mentioning that I'd rather drink tea than coffee for taste.

Incidentally, if any of you live in the Elizabethtown, PA surrounding area, Dr. Doody at Advantage Chiropractic on Market Street is someone I recommend. Excellent training, personable, and really cares about his patients. Accepts most insurances, too! (Nope, didn't pay me to say it--in fact, he doesn't even know I wrote this.)